Girl Meets Feelings
by lightingthestars
Summary: The original four are back in action, this time newly arrived in high school. How will they manage through their new daily lives, especially with the possibilities of new love forming? / riarkle, lucaya.
1. begin again

**M** onday morning, the second day of Spring. The sun was warm and welcoming, shining bright and shimmering against the morning dew on the grass, along with shining right in through the windows of the apartment complex in Greenwich. To most within the building, it was just another Monday, another 7:36 in the morning, and another start of Spring. But to another portion of the residents, it was the first day of school.

And to Riley Matthews of apartment 26 in particular, the first day of high school. She was, for lack of better words, anxious. Excited she was, but the nerves inside of her couldn't be ignored. Now why would that be? It was just another school year, surely, as her family kept insisting. But it was much more than a simple school year. Because she wouldn't have the same teachers, it wouldn't be the same school, there would be different students, and different schedules. And from what she's heard, high school is where you make yourself out to be someone. You leave as a different person. You make new friendships, new relationships.

Riley, who had already been awakened by her younger brother, swallowed, in attempt to calm herself down. Then took a deep breath, and smiled at herself in the mirror. That was just fiction, obviously, right? I mean, she'd never met anyone was currently attending high school. And maybe it wasn't so bad. She hoped deep in her heart that things would stay all right.

But there were some upsides, which was what kept her happy as she could. One upside was that Isadora Smackle would be attending their school alongside the group of five friends. A sextet? Maybe that'd be weird to use in an average conversation within the school. Either way, that was quite irrelevant.

7:45. Riley had spent the last nine minutes doing what? Apparently staring at herself in the mirror, preparing for the next eight hours of her life. She wondered what her friends were doing at this very moment, how Smackle was dealing with the idea of adjusting from her school to a new one, maybe less sophisticated than Einstein Academy. Riley pressed her lips together. Another thought on her mind was how different school life might be with not only a new friend being added into their group of friends, but it being Smackle. They were already decent friends with her, so maybe it wouldn't be such a difference? Although something that might be different was now Farkle, one of Riley's closest friends, would have a girlfriend. And not just a regular girlfriend, like how things were recently, but a school girlfriend. High school sweethearts.

She quietly sighed, running her fingers through the ends of her dark hair than hung over her shoulders.

7:54. Another nine minutes.

At least she was already finished and dressed for school, so she didn't have to worry all too awfully on not being ready in time. Besides, her and Maya usually finished dressing together- at least when it comes to their makeup, which Riley has only been wearing for a few months. But Maya has a natural talent at it, likely because of how artistic she naturally is.

Maya would be here soon, and that had Riley looking on her normal brighter side of things.

Another few minutes.

She found her way out her bedroom door, where her father and brother were arguing over which cereal was better. She laughed to herself at their silly arguments. It was really a normal day, except for when Riley had noticed someone important missing.

"Where's mom?" She asked, sitting down by the table, not yet getting down her cereal. She'd always waited for Maya.

"At work." Her father, Cory, replied, his spoon digging at his breakfast- Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Apparently the best one.

"This early?" Blinking, she tilted her head. Hopefully there was no reason to worry, but she still could never be sure. "Is something... wrong?"

He raised his eyebrows, before catching her drift. "Good one. You know our life is like a 90's sitcom, Riley. Nothing ever goes wrong in _those_."

His daughter let out another awkward laugh. "Sure, Dad." Before nodding her head. "No, really, why's she at work so soon? Usually she's still here."

"She's got a big case, and thinks that if we- if _she_ wins this," he corrected himself quite quickly. "then we might finally be able to take that vacation we always talked about."

"Disney World?!" Riley was quick to jump in her seat, her palms against the wooden table, eyes wide with excitement. She's dreamed of that specific trip since she was a little girl. Or, littler.

"Yeah. Auggie's excited, aren't you, buddy?"

But the boy's only reply was him loudly chewing his Rice Krispies, not breaking eye contact with his father. It looked a rather lot like he was possessed.

"Yeah okay." Cory's attention had turned back to his daughter. "When's Maya getting here?"

"Eight o'clock, like always." She replied with a nod

"Right. You know it's eight o'two now."

"What? No, you can't be right, it's only" she took a glance toward the wallclock, and nearly screamed. "eight o'two! Maya's late!"

"By two minutes!" Along with her father's comment, Auggie held up two fingers, perfectly in synch.

"She's _late!_ "

"Maya's always late."

"What if something's wrong?!"

"What if something's not?" Auggie interjected.

"You know something's not." Cory nodded.

But Riley just pouted. Sure, it was typical for Maya to be tardy, but with it being the first day of high school, she was worried. And really, without any reason to be. Another three minutes went by, and a voice was heard through the intercom.

"Hey losers." was a popular form of greeting for the blonde. Although she was short, she could be vicious.

"Five minutes late!" Riley yelled in a whisper, though an oxymoron of sorts, but she had to make sure that her friend hadn't heard her, not yet. Even though that really wasn't how an intercom worked. Now the girl had made her way to the machine, holding down the button. "Come on up."

And not even two minutes later, Maya had entered the apartment, to then having the brunette throw her arms around her, in a clinging way. "What're you doing?" she then had Riley pried off of her.

"You were late! What happened?!"

"Mom had to make sure her _'babygirl was ready for the big day!'_ " And with that comment, she flashed a thumbs-up sign across her chest, further proving her point.

"Are you okay?" Riley's hands checked through her best friend's hair, to who's eyes narrowed.

"No, seriously, what are you doing?" She took her hand to stop her, and studied the brunette, as if to check for her safety. Maybe something had occured within the hours that Maya was gone from her.

"Five minutes late! I was worried about you."

"Why?"

"Because I thought _maybe_ high school had you nervous and you were going to-" she stopped. A good place to stop.

"Going to what?"

Now Riley mumbled a few, strung together words.

" _What?_ " But not before long, Maya understood what and why her friend had stopped as sudden as she did. " _Ohhh._ You thought I was gonna skip school?"

"Mhm." Riley's hands were folded together, and she nodded her head with lips pressed against each other.

"Aww, honey." Maya's arms laid against the brunette's shoulders, before she pat her head with her other hand. "You know ol' mama bear is a _changed_ mama bear."

She widened her eyes, which then developed into a smile. "So no skipping school?"

"Not _yet_."

"Maya!" The family members all yelled in synch with each other.

"No." Maya had corrected herself, especially in front of her teacher. Well, as far as she knows, her _ex-_ teacher. Really, neither of the girls knew what would actually happen when they step foot inside of the building, not for now.

"Good mama bear!" Cory had told the blonde from where he was sitting, and then she laughed, bowing her head, then thanking him.

"School time?" Riley then turned to her friend, offering her arm to Maya.

"School time. See you later, Matthews." She waved to the two sitting at the table, and they said their own goodbyes. Maya linked her arm with Riley's, and the girls took off, out the apartment.

The walk to the subway station wasn't a long one, so with the time in between they mainly talked over how different things would be. Maya brought up new teachers, which made Riley more anxious than she was. Riley brought up a new principal, which made Maya more anxious that _she_ was. She'd have to find another way to wriggle out of detention, most definitely. Or she'd have to be on her best behavior, which she found unlikely, but Riley had belief that she'd find her way to stay good. At least until she could get the principal to like her.

The station was closer, and they could see it in sight. Riley knew that they would be seeing their friends all there, waiting for them, likely waiting in the station, just as they had agreed. Even though they tended to take different routes, this time, with a new school, they made sure to make plans to all meet up at the same time. Besides, then finding six seats all next to each other would surely be easier. Or that's how Maya had hoped.

Left, right, left, right. Riley's mind stayed focus on making her way down the station's stairs without tumbling directly down them. She was clumsy, and especially when made nervous. She could only imagine how embarrassing it'd be to show up the first day of school with bruises on her knees.

They reached ground, and Maya gave a grin to her friend, as if showing her pride to Riley not falling over. The brunette had nudged her in the side, then pointing forward to the group of five heads, all staying by, waiting for the train's arrival. Their closest friends, Lucas and Farkle, were having a conversation, to which their faces seemed particularly concerned. Maybe it was due to their eight-minute tardiness. Of course they'd planned to meet up earlier than the subway would arrive, but that didn't mean they weren't worried for their friends.

The two girls stood behind the five, and Maya cleared her throat rather loudly. Lucas instantly shot his head back to look at her. He smiled, and so did she. Riley took glances between the two of them, looked at her feet, then took a deep breath. But really, she couldn't help but crack a grin. They were always so happy whenever seeing each other.

"You're here!" She had said suddenly to Isadora Smackle, as if not expecting her to be punctual, which was highly unlikely for the girl.

"Of course I am. I'm always on time." Smackle, the name she prefers to, nodded her head, and Riley chuckled.

"I knew that. It's just, you know, different seeing you _here,_ with _us,_ going to school. Are you nervous?"

"Oh no, I love school, Riley, you know that." Her smile cracked through her usually-stern lips. She did have an undeniable passion for academics. " _Everyone_ seems to."

"Yeah. But it's not a bad thing! We like school, too, don't we, Farkle?" She turned to him, and he nodded quite quickly, a pride grin on his face.

Smackle furrowed her eyebrows together, nodding awkwardly.

"Are you excited then?" Riley asked her, and she tried to soften her face.

"Sure. As excited as I can be." Then she pulled up two thumbs, and a toothy smile.

"Good. I am too." She held out her arms, to which Isadora knew was an offer for a hug. She stepped closer, and tried her best at returning the embrace. Riley was proud, if she was being entirely honest. "That was your best hug yet!"

"I have been practicing."

Farkle seemed to focus on one of them, his eyes catching on her bright pair, and the light from her smile seemed to stain his vision. The sun is as the sun does. He couldn't help but smile, just before turning to the other one.

"First day of a regular school. It's going to be different, huh?"

Smackle nodded, then sighed. "It will be different, and I'll always miss Einstein Academy, but I've missed you five more."

Zay finally spoke up, seeming to break his stare from the subway tunnel. "Even me?"

"Surely. I hardly know you, but I'm sure I'd miss you. You seem charming."

He nodded with a grin. "Yeah you do."

She tilted her head, before forcing out a robotic laugh, which only seemed to make him prouder. Zay had made her laugh, even if it was fake.

Not even a minute later, the train pulled into the station, then coming to a halt, and the doors swung open. Knowing how impatient the subways were in the morning, they had to force their way past the herds of people, who were as impatient as the driver. Maya, the most aggressive of the six, held her arms out like a jet, nodding to Lucas to do the same, as he was much taller than she, and likely posed a bigger threat to anyone who may have tried to push past them. Then finding their seats, most of them sat. All except for Smackle, who refused to sit on a dirty subway seat. She remained standing up, her hands firmly on the pole in front of the benches.

"How long will this ride take?" Smackle had asked, as this was one of her biggest concerns.

Riley laughed, looking up at the other brunette, having to lean to the side in order to see around Smackle, who was nearly blocking the clock that hung above the doors of the subway. "A few minutes. I mean, we'll be there soon."

Then the girl nodded, fiddling with the bracelets on her arm, and Maya, apparently, couldn't help but notice that she might in fact have those nerves that she claims not to.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Lucas asked quietly, a concerned look on his face. It was rare for them to see Smackle quivering.

"Is normal school different?" She asked, almost sharing the same worry as her blond friend.

"Yeah, it'll be different." he replied, only to have Smackle close her eyes and sigh. But when she was to open her eyes, she only saw the friends all smiling. It was confusing for her, as she couldn't see why different would be better.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because different is better."

And it was. According to the tight little group of them, different meant finding who you can tell anything to, always be there to help you, no matter what. Finding where you belong, and who you are. What's real and what's not. That's what different meant to the five. Of course, they always had room for a sixth.

"So... are you in?" Maya asked, her smile curled into a half-grin and arms crossed over her chest. It was as if there was a bigger deal at play here, like they were simply in a game. She hoped it'd make her new friend feel better about the situation. To treat it simply.

Now Smackle couldn't help but smile. They were all such silly people, and there was something in her that made her love all of them. Holding on tighter to the pole as the subway seemed to take a turn, she nodded. "There will be no getting into trouble?"

The five glanced at each other, eyes squinted, just before laughing.

"There is no way of that happening." Lucas told her, quite apparently nodding toward Maya. Her face beamed with pride at being known as the troublemaker.

"Oh. I see. Riley, I'm surprised that your father didn't hate this one." Smackle shot a teasing look.

The blonde narrowed her light eyes, before they widened. " _Ahhh."_ She let out in understanding, a grin toying at her lips again.

"How soon until we get here, dearest?" Smackle now turned to Farkle, dropping her and Maya's playful argument on the spot, her smile still cheeky.

But he seemed to swallow, break his gaze of what he was previously focused on, and nodded. "We'll be there in a minute."

"Yeah," Riley now said. "it's not too far." Her tone of voice had something in it. Excitement? That must be it.

"Good. I think I am nervous."

"Why do you say that?"

"My stomach feels like it is being impaled. This is not normal."

"You _are_ nervous."

Then Smackle smiled, finding herself quite fond of feelings. Even if this one wasn't her favorite, the feeling of feelings itself was a thrill, just in the _words_ themselves. "I am human."

"We've always known you are." Maya mentioned with a nod. Well, for the most part they always knew.

The brunette smiled, bowing her head in appreciation.

The next minutes had gone by much in silence, aside from a few stray conversations or taps on cellphones. It seemed that after most of the conversations had passed, everything had gone quiet. Likely due to the stress of the first day of new school. It hadn't worried any of them, except for Riley. Usually they all had such endless things to talk about. She hoped that high school wouldn't bring them into a stage of awkwardness.

Upon feeling the train abruptly stop, they waited until the rush from this stop had exited first- knowing better than to put any faith into the kindness of grumpy, tired New Yorkers- before they, too, left the groggy station. Which was a good decision, considering how remarkably full both the subway and it's station stood. There is no such thing as an empty station in the morning. Apparently especially not 8:15 morning.

Stepping onto the sunny ground outside of the station, they knew that there would be a walk to arrive, finally, at the school. Riley, especially, had remembered the way there from the day that her family and the Minkuses had agreed to find the fastest route to their homes to school. With Riley and Farkle being, as they put them, the head geniuses, they'd surely find the fastest way first. And, in entire honesty, they had. And she kept that memory in her mind as well as she could. The last thing she really wanted was to be lost.

Smiling over at her group of friends, she held her hands together by her waist. She was confident that her and Farkle would find their way to the school the fastest, so of course there was the idea of them running up ahead of them, to start a race. But she knew that likely wouldn't be the _nicest_ thing to do.

"You look pretty confident in yourself there, Riles." Maya told her, who was currently trudging behind the majority of the six, although with Lucas by her side, who seemed to give her a look as if he was ready to carry her on his back. They all knew that the short blonde wasn't the fondest of exercise.

"I am!" She replied to her, grinning proudly. "You all can consider me your official tour guide."

"Does a tour guide walk for you?"

"No, Maya, you have to do the walking yourself."

" _Why?_ We already have to go to school at eight o'clock in the morning. Stupid school, stupid morning." Maya's feet shuffled against the pavement, and Lucas sighed, bending down on his knees. Her hands dramatically laid against her chest. "For me? Aw," she hopped up on his back, then climbing to wrap her arms loosely around his neck. "shucks. Ya shouldn't've." Her fake Southern accent had kicked in, and he pursed his lips.

"I could always put you down..." And he bent down again, though still walking, as if to prove what he said.

"No, no, no!" She laid her head against the back of his, closing her eyes. "You're comfy." Then snuggling into him, as if he was her bed.

Riley glanced at Farkle and made a squished face, then the two looked toward Maya and Lucas. She laughed, nudging him in the arm.

Farkle had just furrowed his eyebrows, as if not understanding what she had been trying to point out, before seeing Maya, nearly asleep on Lucas' back. He then nodded. " _Ohhh._ " He raised his eyebrows, picking up on what his friend was telling him. Maya and Lucas were once again out of the awkward stage in their relation-friendship. And that was adorable.

Riley nodded repetitively, giggling quietly. "Take a picture." She had whispered to him, trying her hardest to make sure the other two hadn't heard them.

He snickered, before tilting her head at her. "Why?"

"That way we can show them later, when they're married."

"Married? They're fifteen."

"He's sixteen."

" _Fine,_ but why do I-"

Puppy dog eyes. Riley was pulling the puppy dog eyes. And her big, brown, bright eyes were staring into the very depths of Farkle's soul. And he couldn't say no to that. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone from his pocket. "You win." He said, mostly in a grumble, although his smile played away from the fact that he was irritated.

"Make sure you do it before she wakes up!"

"I doubt she's really asleep." He told her, before directing the phone's camera at the couple, squinting one of his eyes, and taking a picture, startling him and Riley back when the phone's volume was found to be turned on.

Lucas turned his head toward them. "What was that?"

Riley's hand was quick to jump to Farkle's mouth, stopping him from telling him what happened, then glancing back at Zay and Smackle, hoping they would stay quiet too. "Nothing!" She stood in front of his hand and phone, which was quite difficult, considering they were walking while doing this.

"It was his phone?" Lucas had pointed out.

Farkle moved her hand, nodding. "Yes! Yes, I was taking a"

"selfie! He was taking a selfie." Riley had finished, and they nodded their head in innocence.

Lucas, unbelieving in what his friends had said, also took a look back at Smackle and Zay, who were having a quiet conversation. When the noticed that he was hoping for an explanation, they only shrugged, although they really _had_ seen what occurred, but they, or rather, _Zay_ wanted to keep that a secret. You could tell in Smackle's eyes, however, that she wanted to tell the truth. But instead, she stayed quiet and tried her best honest face.

Finally, the blond sighed. He gave up, gently bouncing Maya back up on his back, his arms supporting her knees. She quietly breathed, her eyes staying shut.

Riley had tried not to smile at them not getting caught( or, not in trouble for it, that is ). And yet, she did. And grabbed Farkle's arm, her feet stomping at the ground. "We're rebellious!" She whispered.

Farkle grinned and nodded his head. "Sure we are. Next thing you know, we'll be taking pictures of bunnies at the pet store."

She rolled her eyes, now smacking his shoulder. Although, maybe she was rebellious all along.. She did have the tendency to take pictures of rabbits. Especially ones that she doesn't have. Which, for now, is all of them.

The two looked forward, noticing the school which approached on the corner, the roof grey, the sunlight bouncing off of it. Riley was nervous and her stomach twisted and turned in knots, but she smiled. She smiled as bright as she could, just like the sunlight. Because the sunlight kept her the happiest she could be.

Farkle glanced at her. She was radiant. He took a deep breath, looking at his feet. She was beautiful. Always, endlessly, impossibly beautiful.

His girlfriend had noticed how intently he looked at her and she couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows. It didn't matter, did it? He couldn't help the light in his eyes whenever he looks at her. But he has a light in his eyes for a lot of things. No, it doesn't matter. Smackle was very content on keeping it that way. Shaking her head to herself with her eyes on the building, she kept on behind them.

The six arrived on the pavement of the schoolgrounds, and Riley was quick to poke Maya on the shoulder. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

Maya groaned, then yawning and opening her eyes. "We're there already?" She replied to her, with her voice whining.

"We are. You can get up now." She told her gently, stepping back as Lucas had bent down once more, letting Maya hop and stumble off his back. Riley helped keep her up, just before she could steady herself.

"Thank you, sundance."

"I'm still sundance?" Lucas then straightened himself out, sighing quietly.

"You'll _always_ be sundance."

"I'll always be sundance." He repeated, as if keeping the words engraved in his mind.

Riley shot them both a look, just before skipping up the marble steps of the building. She couldn't help but notice how beautiful the school was, although it had some air of terror within it, she knew. Something was bound to happen on their first day, because how could it not? It was them, and this was this. They were never so great at going through a day without _something_ happening. Her hands brushed over the windows on the door, taking a deep breath. They were ready for this, at least the most that they could be. With silence drifting through the air, she finally worked up the courage to push open the heavy doors.

A gust of cool air was what greeted them first as they stepped through the doorway, and their eyes were met with rows of lockers and doors, all seemingly color coordinated. It reminded Riley of John Quincy Adams, with the bright colors that were on the verge of clashing, yet somehow they worked. Her eyes looked up, fixed on the lights for a bit longer than they should have. She didn't know quite why she had made that decision. Breaking her gaze on the lights, she turned her head to focus on her friends. "New school, huh? What do you guys think?"

"Goodnight!" Maya called out, but lucky for her, Lucas had been standing behind her, catching her quickly.

"We're having pancakes."

"You're lying to me." She batted at his chest, standing herself up and folding her arms.

"How different do you think this place will be?" Farkle asked Riley, a twinge of nervousness in his eyes too.

She only smiled, and shrugged her shoulders, eventually stating how unsure she was. "Maybe it won't... be so bad. Besides, it's the first few minutes here and _nothing_ has gone wrong y-"

"You four," A woman had approached them. Head held high and fingers pointed out toward them. "the principal wants to see you."

Smackle and Zay furrowed their eyebrows, before he had said "We always miss out on the fun.." and then they had walked away.

And after that, Lucas, Farkle and Riley had looked at Maya, as if assuming she'd done something to already have gotten them in trouble.

"I swear you guys, I didn't do anything." Hands raised in surrender, the blonde eyed the three.

"This way." The woman told them, her finger in the air, motioning for their following. And, without reason, they followed. Hesitantly, maybe. Definitely.

The four walked behind her, shuffling awkwardly in their spots. Getting in trouble wasn't exactly a new thing for them, but this soon? That was new. Although they were unsure if they were actually in trouble, or if it was something else. Perhaps it was, but the top thing on their minds was that they were in trouble. Riley and Farkle, especially. They'd rarely been even in detention, and in the rare case that they had, they put themselves there.

Looking at her friend, Riley tugged on Farkle's arm again. "What do you think we did?"

"Nothing."

"You don't think or you don't know if?"

"No, I mean we've done nothing." His head turned to face her, as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you think someone else said something about us?"

"Who would have done that?!" Riley asked, nearly in a shriek. And at that moment, the redheaded woman guiding them turned back, looking them up and down, raising a finger to her lips, and continuing with them forward through the hall. However Riley couldn't stand not knowing what happened.  
She stood up the tallest that she could. "Are we in trouble?"

Once again, the woman stayed silent, which only made the young brunette behind her squirm more than she was already.

Finally, the five arrived in front of the door, a door that was darkly colored, making the scene feel just the more like a crime scene investigation.

"Sir," the woman said, poking her head inside the door. "they're here."

"Bring them in." An seemingly familiar voice told them, just as the door swung open. The redhead looked at them and nodded, holding the door for them as they arrived in the room.

Everything seemed like a normal office, with normal paintings and awards hanging on the walls. A normal room with a normal man sitting in a normal chair. But when that chair spun around, the normalness broke off, revealing the curly-haired man that sat in front of them, a wide smile written all across his face.

"Welcome to high school."


	2. principal's pet

_**"D** ad?!" _Riley had exclaimed, nearly in horror upon seeing non other than her father's face, looking at her from the principal's chair. As if she thought that high school wouldn't be trouble enough, now she has to live with knowing that her father- her _father_ will know where she is at all time. But maybe it couldn't be so bad. Riley is a good girl, she always has been. Maybe it'd be all right. Besides, there is always the fact that Cory had indeed wanted an upgrade in his job for the longest time.  
With the panic now fading from her veins, she took a deep breath. "You're-"

"Principal Cory!" He replied with gusto, and such a bright smile on his face.

"You'd be Principal Matthews." Farkle corrected him, only to have the new principal stare him down. "Yes sir."

"You got promoted?! This isn't even the same school!" Maya shrieked, imagining what it'd be like if any of her grades started slipping, or if she wanted to skip school or a class. The terror on her face said it all.

"You should've seen my schools, Maya. This is normal for us!" Cory's grin only seemed to widen with the blonde's response to the situation. "I'm the scarer!"

"What?" Maya blinked her eyes.

"Instead of the scar _ee!_ This is a big moment in my life... Monumental!" He stood up, hands against the table.

"How did this even happen?"

"Well, you ask yourself that, Maya. I scared you instead of you scaring-"

" _No,_ I meant how did you wind up here?"

"Good luck." He shrugged his shoulders, hands up in the air, proving his answer.

Now Riley smiled. Honestly, she was proud of her father. She was nervous, and possibly scared, but she was proud. Beyond it. "What's it like being a principal now?"

"So far? Normal. It's not bad."

"Do you like it?"

"I love it!" He replied with a wrinkle to his face.

Riley only giggled, nodding her head. "I-"

"So now you're in charge around here?" Maya interrupted, her hand up, silencing her friend.

"I am. Mostly."

She squinted her eyes and bit her cheek. "I'm watching you."

"Yeah okay. Have fun with that, Maya. I'm the man in charge now! You don't have a say, I've got a say."

"We always have a say, Matthews, you know that."

"I know that." He looked down, shuffled his feet a bit, then looked back up at the four. "So-"

"Daddy, why didn't you tell me you worked here when me and Farkle found our way here first? Why was it a secret?"

"Because I hadn't started yet. And I didn't want to tell you for it to be a surprise. Everyone likes surprises right?"

"I like surprises." Riley admitted, a nod to her head once again.

"Do you all have your schedules?"

"No, we just got here like a minute ago." Maya replied, arms crossed.

"Elinor, could you get them there schedules?"

"Of course." They heard the redhead talk for the first time, and she didn't have a strict, harsh voice like they would have thought. It was soft. Maybe she'd be nicer than she looks upon first glance. Holding out her clipboard just enough for her to better see it, she slid four paper slips off the board, handing them to the young four.

"What about Zay and Smackle? Don't they need theirs too?" Riley asked with concern, hoping they wouldn't have forgotten about the other two in their group.

Nodding, Elinor then handed them two more. Apparently she just keeps extras around. Maybe she knows how clumsy or forgetful students can be.

Taking the papers, Riley kept them folded under her arm, then reading over her own schedule. English was first. English was easy. Now, that thought might seem to follow along, but it wasn't so. She was terrified of getting adjusted to new teachers. What if none of them liked her, or didn't let her speak? None of the teachers, worst of all, were her father. She stopped herself from frowning, pressing her lips together and taking a deep breath.

"Go on, you guys. You know I'll be seeing you later." Cory told them, before guiding them out the door. His daughter had tried to protest, then barely lifting her feet off the ground, just in a mere shuffle. But her father had eventually managed her out the door. "Good luck!" He called to them, watching the foursome leave the hallway.

Riley had her face wrinkled up, just like a baby would. She turned to Maya. "Why do we have to have high school?"

"I ask myself that same question every minute, kid." Her arm laid across the brunette's shoulders, and she took a deep breath. "It won't be so bad. It's not so bad this far, right?" Maya took on a more serious expression, her eyebrows high and furrowed. She was worried about her friend. Sometimes the blonde would come off harsh and cold, but she was one of the most caring people you could meet.

"I thought you hated the idea of Dad being our principal?"

"Nah, I don't hate it." She replied, pressing her lips together. Deep breath, then she answered. "I'm just... conflicted-"

"For why?" Riley had interjected. "For why are you conflicted?"

"I'm proud of your Dad, don't get me wrong, but with him being all high and mighty now..." Maya sighed. "Now I'm even more worried about him failing me. What happens if I go too far again, Riley? What if there's no coming back from it?"

"It won't happen. He wouldn't do that."

"But what if it does? What then?"

The brunette glanced around, a small smile appearing on her face. "Then we'll all be right here for you. Forever and always, Maya."

She let herself smile in response, nodding her head silently. Riley was right- they're her best friends. And they always will be. A weight of sorts lifted from the short girl's chest.

"Ring power." Riley held up her ringed hand, the other laying on her friend's shoulder.

"Ring power." Maya finished, holding onto the taller girl's hand, nodding once more.

"Good." She released the other's hand, now looking down at her schedule again, as if she had possibly forgotten something. "Now come on, it's time for our first class."

"What is it?" Her light blue eyes widened with surprise, which made Riley believe that she had completely forgotten about having the paper at all.

"English..? Didn't you read yours?"

"That's why I keep you guys around." Maya replied confidently, and her friend sighed.

"Why don't you read more?"

She only blinked in response, shaking her head. "I just, ya know, don't like it all too much."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

But to Riley it didn't seem like what Maya had said was all that laid there. She knew that her friend knew how to read, as she's seen her do so before. But she always seemed so unfocused. She always dropped subjects too easily, and that was starting to worry her. She only knitted her eyebrows together, breathing deeply and focusing once more on her schedule, with a small map of the school covering the back.

"Okay," she finally said, dropping the subject of Maya's inattention. "this way."

"You're leading the way again?" Farkle asked, watching as the brunette had stood in front of the group, assisting them through the hallway. She only nodded, a proud grin on her face. She knew that she was good at taking directions, and was quite fond of her ability to. "I love it."

Riley turned her head back to look at him and found herself laughing. "I know you do. Do you want to help me lead? We could be leaders together!"

Farkle was quick to nod his head, stepping forward with her as the two led on. Smackle had noticed his action and looked back at Maya, as if asking her what she had thought of their new _leadership._ But it was probably nothing, it was just them being them, she was mostly sure of that. Maya, noticing short brunette looking toward her, smiled and shrugged, trying to answer whatever it was that she possibly could have been asking.

The leaders of the group did as they should and led on, occasionally peeking back at the other four, making sure that none of them had strayed. Of course they hadn't, because Riley and Farkle took their new _jobs_ very seriously. Maya now stood like a guard, a near march in her step, arms crossed over her chest. They were moving too slowly, just possibly, but that wasn't their greatest concern. Luckily, the first class was ten minutes away. There was no way they'd be late on their first day.

Riley strode through the hallways, Farkle confidently by her side. So far, much to her surprise, barely anyone seemed to take any notice to them( besides a few stray glances or stares. perhaps that was due to their odd way of how they were currently walking ). Riley was relieved. During the beginning of the day, she was quite worried about the amount of new students to old students ratio. She knew that they were with the new ones, and according to everything she's ever watched or read, in high school they don't take new kids lightly. But so far? Everything was normal, like they were going to their old school. She couldn't help but feel ecstatic.  
Looking over her shoulder, she glowed with happiness, smiling at her friends.

"Almost there, honey?" Maya asked, hands now shoved into the pockets of her jeans.

"Almost there indeed!" And as Riley replied, she once again focused ahead of her.

"Thank god. This whole _walking when you only got a couple hours of sleep_ thing really isn't my favorite." She said to herself.

"Only a couple hours?" Lucas interrupted her, looking at the blonde. "Why did you only get a couple hours of sleep? You texted me at midnight saying you were going to."

"I _said_ I was gonna, that doesn't mean I meant it."

"Why couldn't you fall asleep earlier?"

"I was nervous, okay? New school, new us. Things happen. I was just nervous."

"Do you promise to get better sleep tonight?"

"Yeah, okay sure, Moral Compass. I'll try to."

"You have to."

"How would you make me do that?"

For a minute, the blond thought to himself, before nodding. "I'd lay on you."

Maya furrowed her crystal eyes, sighing. "Fine, you win."

Lucas grinned to himself. He knew that he'd be able to correct her sleep schedule, one threat at a time. Honestly, Maya loved seeing the more abrupt version of him. New and improved? Not so much. He was always a great guy, but she had to admit how cute she found his petty thread to be.

"Stay focused you guys!" Riley told them, keeping forward. "Armies with focus are the best armies."

"We're not an army." Maya replied, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Why not? We've got enough of us." Farkle said, pointing out the obvious. Riley only chuckled, nudging him with her elbow.

"Having a lot of friends is a _good_ thing, Farkle." She corrected him, even though the statement he had made wasn't entirely a bad one.

He held his arm, rubbing where she nudged. "I know that. I was just saying we _could_ have a real army."

"If we try hard enough, I think so too."

"We could do anything."

"I could even be a _princess_?!" Riley gaped at the idea, giving her open-mouthed smile, gazing off in the distance at only her imagination.

"You'd be the best one there ever was." Farkle nodded, very confident in his answer. She grinned widely, brightly, and he loved every second, just like always.

The next few moments passed by in near silence, aside from the sounds of marching feet, quiet chattering, and a few "sorry"s from Riley's part, when she had accidentally brushed a few students shoulders. And even though they really couldn't have cared less, she still apologized far more times that she had needed to. But that? That was just her.  
The next minute passed, and they were by the English classroom. It was still four minutes before they actually had to arrive at the class, so they stared at the clock. Four minutes passed with them just staring, silently. And waiting. Four minutes seems like so long when you had nothing to do. Of course they could have just gone inside before it was time, showing up early, but they, especially Maya and Zay, would have hated to have a reputation set for themselves. So they waited. And waited.  
What felt like a century had passed and the time had finally come. The other students had already poured in, and now it was their turn.  
When they first entered the door, the teacher put her hand on Riley's shoulder, announcing to the class that they had not one, not two, but _six_ new students in this class.

"We have these new ones today.." She said, guiding them to stand in front of her desk. "Ms. Riley Matthews here is the principal's daughter," to which the entire class went silent, as if they had to be on their best behaviors with her around. She liked that. "and _then_ we have Ms. Maya Hart, Mr. Lucas Friar... and..." She eyed them, before checking behind her desk, pulling up a slip of paper and reading it over. "Isadora Smackle and _Farkle_ Minkus?"

"Yes, ma'am." Farkle replied to her, nearly embarrassed to have his name shouted throughout the entire class. Riley put her hand on his shoulder, offering him some kind of support.

"Minkus? As in of Stuart Minkus?" The teacher asked, well aware of whom his father was. And also how incredibly strange the last two students' names were.

"Who else?" He turned to look at her, and she raised her eyebrows in reply.

"You may take your seats, children." She made a shooing motion toward their backs, and they squinted at the classroom.

Something was off. And that something they were incredibly aware of what it was as soon as they took their spots. The seating was wrong. Oh, the seating was _very_ off for them. Riley was up front, directly in the middle. Farkle was three seats behind her, to the left. Maya was behind Smackle, and they were in the back right. Lucas and Zay sat next to each other, in front of Smackle. And it was wrong.

Riley fidgeted in her seat, trying to find the best way to find comfort like this. This class was worse than she thought it'd be. As she tried to listen to Mrs. Abernathy discuss the importance between the differences of your and you're( even though they had learned this all much earlier on ), the brunette found herself looking over her shoulder more than usual, attempting to find her friends' faces in the crowd of strangers. For the eighth time she heard their teacher explain the difference. Your and you're and abbreviations and anything in between it.  
She huffed quietly, crossing her arms over her desk and laying her head between them, trying to cut her mind off from any anxious or nervous thoughts, which was more difficult than she would have thought.

Farkle, in particular, had noticed his friends unhappiness with this situation. He glanced around the room, noticing Maya pick up on it too. They shared looks, before she nodded at him. At him? He had no idea what he could do. It's not like he could be like her and set the sprinklers off the first day here. He could find something else to do, and he could be casual about it. He could- he could- "Mrs. Abernathy!" He shot up, eyes wide as platters. Riley heard his voice, sitting up properly in her seat, listening to what he was saying.

"Mr. Minkus? Is there a problem?"

"Yes..?" He then nodded his head quickly. "Yes, yes- there is a problem!"

"What is it?"

"The... the... I have to change seats!" When Farkle had said that, Riley laughed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"And why is that?"

"Because I have to!"

"You and I both know that _that_ is not a reason."

"The... air here... Yeah, the circulation is all wrong. And the lighting! _Ohhh.._ The lighting is really bad for my.. asthma."

"Lighting does not affect asthma, Mr. Minkus."

"No, yeah, I meant... Something else."

"Which would be?"

"Can I change my spot or not, m- ma'am?"

Mrs. Abernathy sighed, squinting her grey eyes at him. "Where exactly would you move to?"

"By Riley! By her, up there. Right there. The light's better, you can see it."

She groaned, eventually realizing she would not leave this room without him shutting up. "Fine." She retorted, pointing her finger toward the chair right to Riley. "John, please move yourself."

Farkle collected his books hastily, swinging his backpack back over his shoulder and passing by the other student, who nearly shoved pass him to reach his new seat. Yet the brunet stayed with a smile as he laid his books out on his desk. "Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate this."

"I'm sure you do." She replied, pushing her dainty glasses back up on her stout nose and returning her focus to the blackboard.

Sitting quietly, Riley looked over at Farkle, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion. Although she was more than glad that he had moved his position to be next to her, to make her feel more comfortable, he still had risked getting in trouble. She couldn't understand why he'd do that- his reputation is one of his most important things. Catching his eye, she silently asked "Why did you do that?", only mouthing.

He carefully eyed Mrs. Abernathy, as she had her eyes on behind her, before turning back to Riley. "It was important."

"You could have gotten in trouble." She finally spoke, only in a whisper, just loud enough for Farkle to hear.

"This was more important."

"Why?"

"Because the lighting and circulation was bad back there." He replied jokingly, which made a smile quickly jump to Riley's lips.

"Air circulation affects you pretty badly, huh?"

"I am a hamster."

Riley scoffed out a laugh, before covering her mouth with her delicate hands.

And so this period passed by faster than she had thought it would after Farkle kindly changed his spot. They learned that Mrs. Abernathy was not so horrible. Maybe she wasn't their favorite teacher, but she wasn't too awful. After the bell tolled, they all stood from their seats, only the six new students had decided to wait until the others had left before they made their move- a similar decision to when they were on the subway.  
Finally reaching out of the room and into the hallway, they sat on the bench outside of the classroom, taking respective deep breaths. Maybe the class itself hadn't been difficult, and maybe Mrs. Abernathy wasn't out to ruin their year, but emotionally? It was... new. And new, while it is great, is hard. Incredibly so.

Riley glanced to her left, then right, smiling widely as she watched her friends relax. She laid her arms against their shoulders( or tried to, the two on the ends leaned in ), then looked up at Farkle, who was standing up as there wasn't enough room for him to sit on the bench. She raised her eyebrows, her best gesture to tell him to hug her. She only had two arms, how would she have hugged him all the way up there?

Farkle, catching her drift, nodded. "Ohh, right. Okay then." Then he bent himself over and tried his best to wrap his arms around the five on the bench.

Riley grinned, sitting up straight as she could, in attempt to make it easier for him. Or, to get closer to him. One of those is it. She looked up at him, his head laid sideways on top of hers.

When he adjusted his head position, he saw how happy she was. He laid his forehead on hers, his own lips being pulled into a smile. "You needed a hug?"

"I wanted one." She corrected him, gently nodding, her brown eyes gazing into his blue. "Everyone likes hugs!"

"We do." He replied honestly, before Maya spoke up.

"I can't breathe." The blonde had said, even though she quite obviously could. "And I need to talk to Riley."

"Me? Why?" Riley turned her head to her friend, just as the hug was broken and she took her hand.

"Right now, honey, come on." Maya then dragged her, down two hallways, and then stopped. She looked at the brunette intensely, studying her very being and everything she stood for. Riley just stood awkwardly, tilting her head.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Honey, what are you doing?!" She asked, almost in a shriek, her hands gripping at the brunette's shoulders.

"Doing _what?"_

 _"And you're oblivious?!"_ Maya blinked her eyes, sighing and hugging her.

"What am I doing, Maya? I'm confused."

"I know you are." She had pulled back, moving Riley's dark hair from her face, now cradling her head like a mother. "I can tell you are."

"Confused?"

"Mhm."

Riley furrowed her eyebrows, breaking Maya's cradle. "Please, I want to know what I'm doing wrong."

"Why can't you see what I see yet?"

"See what?!" She was frustrated now. Maya knew something that she nearly refused to tell her friend. Why was she hiding this? "If it's something important, I want to know."

"Riley-"

"Sisters tell each other everything. Tell _me._ "

"You made the eyes."

"What?"

"The big, puppy dog-baby eyes. The lovebird eyes. The lovey dovey ones."

"The- the eyes? At who?"

Maya swallowed, smiling sadly. Emotions were hard, and they went unknown. Except for Maya. She knew her best friend well enough to see this.

"Peaches..." Riley stuck out her bottom lip, pleading. "Please?"

"I can't say it, Riles."

"You can and you have to."

Maya watched her, squinting her eyes, chewing on her lip. "I-"

"Maya-"

"What if-"

" _Maya-"_

"You're just a baby-"

"I'm fifteen."

"A baby!"

Riley groaned, laying her head on Maya's shoulder.

"Do I have to tell you?"

"Yes."

The blonde sighed, closing her eyes. She nearly was in disbelief that she knew Riley's feelings better than Riley knew Riley's feelings. Her closed eyes closed tighter, throwing her head back with a groan.

Riley only blinked, eyebrows raised, awaiting an answer from Maya.

"Okay. I'll only tell you because you don't know. But don't expect _me_ to try and stop whatever you're feeling, Riley."

"I won't." Her eyebrows now furrowed. "Is it _that_ bad?"

"It's... It's Farkle, honey."

Riley's expression dropped, her face went blank. She breathed, before smiling again. "It's not Farkle."

"Why would I lie to you?"

She pressed her lips together. She wouldn't. Not about this. "I- I don't-"

"Riley, I saw it." Her voice was the softest that she's heard it in a long time.

Riley's eyebrows furrowed together. "I look at everyone like that."

"You don't. _It_ was there."

"Can we- can we go? I- I don't- It's a few minutes away from Math class and-"

"Riley," Maya took her hands. "are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need to- I'll- I'm going to-" Riley held her hands over her mouth, making herself stop talking. She felt like she'd be sick. Breaking away from Maya's gaze, she hurried back to the bathroom, locking herself in a stall, and laying her head against the wall. Her eyes closed and she sank down. She was glad that these bathrooms were nice, with actual walls and doors.  
Bringing her knees to her head, she held onto them. Riley didn't know what to think. She had felt certain things that she couldn't explain, but to her? Maybe they meant nothing. She held onto her breath, furrowing her eyebrows together, she was thinking over how serious Maya was about what she was telling her. Farkle's her friend. Isadora Smackle is Farkle's girlfriend. Her stomach sunk and she breathed. Jealousy. She did feel jealousy. For _them?!_ She wanted to yell. She's already how her and Maya are with Lucas, and that's painful enough. She doesn't need to be feeling anything about anyone. Not anymore.

But she knew herself well enough. She couldn't do that.

Farkle's smile flashed into her mind, and she frowned. No, he deserved better. Someone who wouldn't leave him high and drying, like she'd always done. She knew he used to love her, used to like her. But now? He's moved on. He's had _help_ moving on. And he didn't need her for anything she may or may not have wanted. Tears flooded into her eyes and her lip quivered. She pressed it against her teeth, sighing shakily.

No. She didn't like him. She didn't like him. _She didn't like him._

Salty tears fell fast from her dark eyes, sliding down her cheek. Riley hastily wiped them away, her entire body was shaking. She fell lower to the ground, her shoulders against the bathroom wall.

 _She didn't like him._


	3. secret's keeper

**"R** iley," Maya's hands knocked against the bathroom stall's door. "you have to come out sometime." Her voice stayed soft, but strong enough to let her know that if, and _when,_ she needed her, she'd be right here for her. Just like she'd always be.

"I can't." Riley's voice was stifled from behind the door, but from what she could tell it was shaking. And she had been crying. Maya's heart sunk.

"You gotta. It's okay."

"Maya, I can't."

"Honey, you'll be okay. If you need to talk, we'll all be here for you." The blonde laid her head against the door, in an attempt to comfort her.

"No, Maya, I _really_ can't get up." Riley said suddenly.

"What?"

"I'm stuck."

Maya looked down and fiddled with the door. "Can you unlock it?"

"I'll tr- try to." There was a struggle, Maya heard, as Riley scooted herself against the tile flooring. She heard a grunt, a loud groan, then a click. The door unlocked. Luckily, it swung out, and Maya didn't have to worry about smacking Riley with it when she opened the door.

And when she did, she found the brunette laying on the floor, her shoulders stuck in an uncomfortable position against the walls. Riley's rosy cheeks were stained with tears, and her brown eyes looked red and puffy. Maya frowned, kneeling down beside her friend. "Honey, what happened?"

"I got stuck."

Maya couldn't help but chuckle at Riley's sudden smile. It might have been faked or forced, but it was adorable. "Let me help you up." The blonde stood up now, standing beside the taller girl, fitting her hands under her armpits, then wriggling Riley up and out of the situation. She laughed, tightly hugging Riley. "Are you okay?" Maya asked quietly, not yet letting go of her.

"I'm... I've been better." Riley sniffled, fitting her head against Maya's neck. She took a deep breath and felt as her shorter friends pulled back, once again pushing her hair from her face to better see her.

"I know." Maya replied quietly, trying to smile as an attempt to cheer up her usually perky friend. "It's two minutes from class, sweetie. Do you want to fix your makeup?" She asked, wiping away the tears of mascara down her cheek.

"Is it that bad?"

"Yeah... It's pretty raccoon. C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." The blonde's hand laid against her back, as she helped to steady her, guiding her to the sink. Turning it on, she let it warm up, before running her hand under the faucet and wiping again underneath of Riley's eyes. For a few moments, they were silent, just a few heavy breaths, and the sound of running water, for Riley was humiliated at the fact that she let herself feel anything but friendship for Farkle. But Maya was here for her. She knew she'd be. Soon enough, even, she once again spoke. "I'm sorry."

"Why, peaches?"

"For.. hurting you. In school."

"It's okay.. You needed to say it." Her eyes were still watery, but she blinked that away, laying her hand on Maya's arm.

She finished cleaning off Riley, glanced at her, and sighed. "I should have waited."

"It's okay, really. I'm- I'm better now."

Maya sighed. She knew that Riley wouldn't let her in any more than she already had. Maybe it'd be better to wait until after school was out. She rubbed her back, smiling gently.

"Is all my makeup off?" Riley asked before the blonde could speak.

"Most of it.. You've still got eyeshadow on."

"Do you have any chapstick?" She fiddled with the pockets on her overalls, sniffling quietly.

"Yeah." Maya always did. Pulling out the peach chapstick from her jeans, she handed it to Riley, who was quick to rub it against her lips and hand it back.

In attempt to perk herself up, Riley stood up straight and smiled. "Ready to go?" She had said as if everything that just happened was normal.

"Yeah.. I am. Are you?" Light blue eyes scanned over the brunette, and Maya furrowed her eyebrows. She could only imagine what it felt like to think you might have feelings for someone you've known since you were young. Sure, her and Lucas was difficult enough, especially when Maya first told him.. Or... When _Riley_ told him. Either way it had worked out, and everything turned out, _for the most part,_ fine. But this? This was new. She had never thought, in a million years, that Riley- _Riley_ of all people- would have found herself falling for him.

"Yep. Let's go." Riley quickly grabbed hold of the blonde's hand, leaving the bathroom with Maya by her side. Her heart was racing, but she tried to stifle and hide it. Deep breaths and smiles. That's what she had to do. Eventually, the two girls found the other four. Maya glanced cautiously at Riley, even though she acted like normal and was already starting conversations and small talk with their friends.

"What did you guys have to talk about?" Smackle asked. The rest of them, except for Maya and Riley, nodded, leaning in curiously.

"Nothing. She had to help me fix my makeup." Riley replied simply, leaving it at that.

Smackle, luckily, was still new to makeup and could barely tell why she had needed _fixing._ She just nodded her head in response, turning to the clock. "Math is next?"

"Yeah," Riley answered, hands coolly brushing off the knees of her overalls. "do you think the seating will be awful this time?"

"If it is," Farkle spoke and Riley swallowed, smiling. "then we'll just have to fix it again."

"You're right." She replied quickly, nodding her head and sighing quietly and forcing herself to break the gaze off of the brunet. But even still she smiled, she couldn't help but. "I-"

"Math class?" Maya interjected, throwing her arms around Riley and Farkle's shoulders, stopping them from talking. "Math class. Let's go, you guys." She practically dragged the two of them, hearing their other friends scurry behind them. Lucas eyed the blonde, apparently noticing how suddenly she had to pull them into the classroom. Maybe something was up, maybe something wasn't. Either way, he stayed quiet and followed behind them, staying beside Smackle and Zay.

When they entered the classroom, they were once again introduced to the class, then motioned at to go to their seats. It was still scattered, but this time Smackle was next to Riley in the middle. Without her sitting alone, Farkle felt better about not having to announce to the entire class that he was very much so a hamster and _had_ to change his seat.

After Maya's _conversation_ with Riley, she felt anxious about not sitting next to her. She sat so far off from her, being a row behind her and three to the left, and Riley could hardly see her if she looked over her shoulder. Now was another one of those moments where Maya _hated_ being short. She was hidden behind rows of heads. It was no use trying to get her friend's attention. She'd be okay. It was just Math class.

Mr. Colige, their teacher, saw the tension in the air. His eyebrows were knitted together, before he look a deep breath, turning to the chalkboard behind him, going on about A + B or something like that. Maya was far too distracted to pay attention, or to _care,_ about the subject at hand. Riley liked Farkle. Farkle used to like Riley. She bit her lip. What if he still did? What if he was hiding it just like Riley's been? Her fingers tapped impatiently against her desk, pursing her lips uncomfortably. Had they always been like this? She wondered. What if they'd _always_ liked each other? If there was something going on between them from beyond what anyone could tell, even them? Was it possible?

Crystal blue eyes glanced at her phone, which laid quietly in her hands. Would their teacher notice if she just checked up on things from their past? It was just a few things. It's not like she'd be texting anyone. Recomposing herself, Maya sighed quietly, trying to appear as the best student she could. Holding her phone under her desk, she powered it on. It was bright. She held her breath, quickly going under the settings and lowering the light.

 _Thank God._

Twitter. Twitter was a good place to start? Maya already knew everything there was to know about them, she thought. But a lot of the times she skimmed over some things on her timeline. Maybe she'd missed subtle flirting. Or _obvious_ flirting? One-handed tapping into Riley's page, her eyes cautiously scrolled pass her layout( which was currently Riley herself in a flower crown and a purple flower header, all very fitting to her username, princessdancingsunshine. ) and found her tweets. First thing first was pictures, which for the most part were just photographs of flowers, animals, and the main four of them together.

 _Dammit._ Snooping around would be harder than she thought.

She flipped farther through the pictures, eventually finding one of Riley and Farkle, her arm over his shoulder, specifically for his birthday.

 **" sparklingfarkle** **happy 15th. love u, Farkley** **㈴5㈵6"**

Maya glanced up toward the teacher, who was now focusing his attention on one of the other student's questions. She hesitated, before looking back down at her phone. His reply was similar, with

 **" princessdancingsunshine Thank you Riley. Love you too, princess** **㈴1"**

She bit her lip. God Dammit, this was happening. She wouldn't be surprised if the entire internet thought they were dating.

Tapping away from photos, she scrolled through her tweets, searching for anything sent to Farkle. Mainly just joking, but a lot of the times "I love you"s were thrown around, or "miss you"s when they'd only been away for fifteen minutes. Maya sighed. The poor, misunderstanding baby. Riley had no idea anything was happening.

 **"Farkle rlly shouldn't have let me choose his username if he was 2 worried about it bein 2 girly xoxo"**

She was choosing names for him. Maya had forgotten that one.

 **" princessdancingsunshine It's the best username."**

 **" sparklingfarkle you know it!"**

Maya winced. They really did look like they were dating. Even if it was nothing, Riley is her sister. Her sister who's incredibly new to feeling things for her best friend, if that's what is happening here. Maybe it's nothing, but she can't ignore it. She tried her best to glance over at Smackle, as if seeing if she was wondering the same things that she was. Before she could find her in the crowd, she heard a voice.

"Ms. Hart, are you looking for something?"

It was Mr. Colige.

 _Crap. Act normal, Maya._ "No, sir." She turned off her phone, holding it steadily against the underneath of the desk. "Just trying to find the clock."

His long, steady fingers pointed above himself, where the ticking clock obviously stood, directly in the middle of the class.

"Right... Thanks, sir."

The clock, which she was now curious about, read 10:15. They weren't even halfway into their class yet. Maya sank herself down in her chair, pulling her beanie over her eyes. This would be grueling. She had to tell _someone_ about what she was thinking. What if someone else had noticed this, much like her? Smackle wouldn't want to hear it, Zay wouldn't keep his mouth shut, and there was no way she'd bring it up to Farkle, or again to Riley. She trusted Lucas. After class she'd tell Lucas.

Could she even, she wondered? What if it would just make things between herself, Riley and him more awkward then it already was?

Maybe she should just tell her mother.

10:20. 10:25. 10:30. God, the minutes moved slower than ever. She tried to pay attention, but for the most part scribbled and doodled in her notebook, hopefully looking like she was doing something actually useful and connected to Math. Maya kept hearing the teacher go on and on about what different letters mean to numbers. The way he described it made it sound like they were in a committed relationship. She did her best not to groan when he switched off about adding all of them up. Who even cared this much about Math? She didn't. She'd make that known... eventually.

10:40. Almost there. Twenty more minutes. It'd be okay, they'd make it out alive.. she hoped. Once again Maya's eyes found the back of Riley's head, silently pleading for her to just admit her feelings for Farkle. She wouldn't. Not yet. She knew her too well.

10:50. Come on, just one more long, boring sentence about the importance of how you arrange the whatever-it-was with the whoever-cares. Just ten minutes more and the silence between the friends would break.

10:51.

Goddammit. Everything moves so slowly when you care so passionately about something. Right now she wished it was just her and Riley, talking things out within the secluded walls of their bay window.

Just a few minutes more.

The clock struck 11:00, ringing throughout the classroom.

"I'll see you all tomorrow. Have fun." Mr. Colige called to the class, as they shuffled out of the tightly-packed room. Maya was one of the last to leave, much due to the other students refusing to lighten up on how tightly-knit their groups were.

The blonde finally left the room, watching just as Lucas turned the corner out the door. She laid her hand on his shoulder, letting him know she was leaving with him. Maya honestly hadn't quite made up her mind if telling him would be the best idea. She has it on her mind, and it feels like a heavy weight laying down on her chest. Maya held her mouth closed, bottom lip between her teeth.

The two found the rest of their group, and she nodded her head to them all as greeting. With so much currently on her mind, she was scared of opening her mouth and letting something slip out. Maya sat on the bench, her legs bouncing anxiously. She really just couldn't wait until school was over. Maybe then, out of school, her and Riley could have an actual conversation about this. But the more she thought about it, she wondered if it'd be better to just let the subject go for now. Farkle and Riley had _always_ been close. Maybe this was nothing new, Maya just now was taking notice of how something _might_ be there. My God, she hoped.

Lucas seemed to catch notice of the shorter blonde's fidgeting. Usually she didn't fidget unless she was anxious. He sat beside her, nudging her with his shoulder.

Maya just blinked, holding her head up higher, looking at him, and then smiling.

"Hi."

She was quiet for a moment. "Hey." Her eyebrows raised with her reply.

"Is... something wrong, Maya?" He approached her with the question lightly, worried for how she might reply.

But Maya, instead of being angry, took a deep breath. He saw something in her eyes, and the look was similar to worry. "Yeah.. I- I think so."

"You think?"

"Lucas-"

"Maya," He took a cautious glance at the rest of the group, watching as they stayed deep in conversation. "let me be worried for you."

She blinked again, staring blank at the floor for the smallest of moments. She felt something flutter in her heart. That's when Maya once again lifted her head, meeting his eyes. "I can handle this by myself."

"Handle what?" Lucas asked quietly, knitting his eyebrows together.

Maya paused. "Handle... anything. I can do it alone."

"You're not going to."

"Why not?"

"Because I- because we all care too much about you." He told her. "Why can't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Not in front of everyone else, Lucas. I don't want anything to get out." Maya said, and her eyes seemed to drift off, studying the crowd of older students as they passed. The last thing she wanted Riley, and Farkle, to deal with on their first week here is a rumor about their love life. That wouldn't make her too excellent of a friend.

"Does that mean you will tell me?"

She huffed, nodding her head. Maya held out her hand, standing up when Lucas took it. She then watched to make sure nobody saw them. Riley still has feelings for him, and she probably wouldn't appreciate her dragging off Lucas to somewhere quiet without anyone seeing what they may or may not be doing. She didn't need that right now. Without them noticing them leaving, Maya and Lucas walked somewhere where, hopefully, no one would be too interested in what they were saying. Standing outside the library, she finally stopped walking.

"Why'd you take me somewhere so far from them?" Lucas looked around. "And everyone else?"

"I knew no one would be here, not at this time.. I don't want any rumors starting."

"Rumors?" He hesitated. "Is it something serious?"

"I don't know." Maya replied simply. "Because I don't know if I'm right or not. With Riley's reaction, I'd say I'm pretty damn right about this."

Lucas' eyes widened. "Riley? Is something wrong with her?"

She shrugged. "Not really..? It's just- She-" Maya sighed. "Riley... has feelings for someone."

"Maya, I know that she still likes me. I don't-"

"Not you, Friar."

"What?"

"She likes someone else. A- I'm guessing. I told her about what I thought and... And she reacted like... like someone who likes someone would."

"Who does she like?"

"She-" Maya pressed her lips together. "I don't know if I should say who. The point is just.. I had to get that off my shoulders."

"Okay.." Lucas looked at the floor for a moment, wondering who else it could be that Riley could possibly suddenly have feelings for. "Are.. Are you sure she's okay?"

"Yeah. She seems all normal now.. And he has no idea that she likes him. I don't think so, I mean, they-" Maya went silent. But even though she didn't completely tell Lucas about who Riley had feelings for, she felt even guiltier now. She led Lucas on with something and has barely explained it. "Lucas," she sighed to herself. "after school... Can you come over to my house? Please? That way we can.. I don't know.. better talk about this?"

Lucas nodded his head. "Yeah, sure. Let's do that." He took a deep breath. "It's not someone really surprising is it?"

Maya laughed silently, nodding her head. " _Suuure,_ cowboy. Keep telling yourself that." She pat his shoulder, before dragging his arm again. She really hoped that nobody suspected them of anything if they had seen them- especially not Riley. That'd be incredibly awkward for her to have to make up a story as to why she just _had_ to drag Lucas off into a dark and quiet corner.

The two returned to their group of friends. When Maya saw that they were all still rather involved in their conversation about whatever it was, she took a deep breath and sat down beside Lucas just as they were before. She laid her head on his shoulder. Now, she'd never admit it to him, but she was more than grateful that she could tell him anything, at anytime, and he'd always be there to keep a secret. She closed her crystal blue eyes and heard him chuckle, just before she nudged him in the side. Maya wouldn't let him get too close to her, she refused to let herself.

Riley was the first to notice that they were sitting there( again. although she hadn't known that part ). Standing on her toes to look over Smackle's head, even if the other brunette was quite shorter than her, she flashed the two of them a bright smile.

Maya, opening her eyes, sat up and nodded, standing up to stand with her friends. She squeezed in next to Riley, carefully glancing between her and Farkle. Everything seemed normal. Deep breath, and continue.

"So, what are we talking about?" The short blonde asked the five of them, looking up at Riley for an answer.

"Well, Farkle and I were thinking about going to see the meteor shower tonight-" When the brunette replied with that, Maya held her breath.

"We're going! We're _all_ going." She quickly interjected, hearing Riley laugh.

"That's what I was just going to say!"

Maya let out a deep exhale. Thank God they weren't going by themselves. Out into the night. Alone. She couldn't help but mentally shudder at the thought. Her best friend was growing up and there was nothing she could do about it.

"So, I'm guessing that you're okay with this, Maya?"

"More than okay. I can barely wait." She nodded her head in reply, flashing two thumbs up to the group of friends. Was she excited? Sure. She'd never actually seen a meteor shower right in front of her eyes. But more importantly she was less anxious with knowing that she'd be there in case anything happened between Riley and Farkle. But it wouldn't. Deep in her heart she knew that they'd know that the timing for a new romance wouldn't be so excellent. She took a deep breath, looking up at the clock.

"It's almost time for History class.." Riley said quietly, just under her breath. Everyone could tell that she was beyond nervous. History used to be her father's class, but not anymore. Now? God only knows who it belongs to. She felt Maya hold her hand tightly and she sighed.

"You can do it, honey. It's just one class." Maya told her, swinging her hand as the group turned around.

The History classroom was up one flight of stairs and to the left, and the entire time Riley's hand shook with nerves. Farkle swung by, taking hold of her other hand. Maya looked over her shoulder, taking a deep breath, and looping her arm through Lucas'. She saw him smile and resisted the urge to step on his toe _accidentally._ But even still, she felt the own corner of her lips turn up. These were her friends. This was her home. They were going to be the greatest team that the world has ever seen.

She felt Zay tap her shoulder, before he swung his arms around Maya and Lucas' shoulders. Smackle just jealously clung onto Farkle's arm, and Maya couldn't help but stifle a frown. The poor girl probably had no idea what was going on within Riley's mind, let alone what her boyfriend may or may not be thinking. The blonde held on tighter to her friend's hand, and pulled Lucas closer to her as they walked up the steps. She could see the classroom just approaching in her eyesight and she sighed, glancing over at Riley.

Riley was smiling.

Standing straighter, which was something that Maya rarely did, she held her head high. She knew that Riley was smiling, but sometimes she still worried that she wasn't as happy as she let off. Maya had to look her happiest for the brunette, in order to keep her held up.

Zay released his arms around the two's shoulders and stood in front of the History classroom's door. He eyed the other five. "Are y'all ready for this? I know History class is you guys' thing."

Riley looked across at her friends, nodding and taking a deep breath. "Yeah. We're ready." She fidgeted where she stood, tightening her grip on Maya and Farkle's hand.

Without warning, Zay quickly threw open the classroom's door, but as quickly as the door swung open in the teacher's face, a certain blonde woman gripped the door, a familiar smile on her face as she greeted Riley.

At this point, nothing would surprise her.


End file.
